ABY MIRABEL ODETA
Fans who raised the flag of Greenland during a men’s hockey matchup between the United States and Denmark at the Winter Olympics on Saturday in Milan say their gesture was meant as a sign of European solidarity with both Greenland and Denmark amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Vita Kalniņa and her husband, Alexander Kalniņš, originally from Latvia but now living in Germany, brought a large red-and-white Greenland flag into the arena. Supporters of Latvia’s national hockey team, the couple said they felt compelled to make a symbolic statement during the preliminary round game. They first held up the flag during pregame warmups and later raised it again when Denmark scored the opening goal against the United States. The U.S. eventually secured a 6-3 victory.
“For us as Europeans it was important to show up with this symbol as a symbol of European unity that we support Greenland,” Kalniņš told The Associated Press, explaining that their action was not intended to disrupt the game but to express a peaceful message of solidarity.
In recent weeks, renewed rhetoric from former U.S. President Donald Trump about the possibility of the United States taking control of Greenland has reignited debate over the Arctic island’s political future. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and discussions about its status have stirred national pride in Denmark and prompted broader expressions of support across Europe.
According to the couple, arena staff approached them during the game and instructed them to put the flag away. They said they were told the decision was based on safety concerns, with a suggestion that displaying the flag might provoke aggressive reactions from some American spectators. The couple noted that American flags continued to be waved freely throughout the arena.
“He said it was due to safety reasons, because there could be American aggressive people,” Kalniņš said. Despite their disappointment, they complied with the request because they wanted to remain in the arena and continue watching the game. By that point, they felt their message had already reached both the in-person audience and viewers watching on television.“I think the message was sent,” Kalniņš added.
The status of the Greenland flag at the Games remains somewhat ambiguous. Greenland does not compete as an independent nation at the Olympics. Instead, Greenlandic athletes participate under Denmark’s banner. Notable examples include biathlete siblings Ukaleq and Sondre Slettemark, who represent Denmark in international competition.
Guidelines published on the official Olympic website for the opening ceremony state that spectators are permitted to bring flags of countries and territories participating in the Games. As Greenland is not represented by its own Olympic team, questions remain about how its flag fits within those rules. However, Greenland is officially recognized as a self-governing territory within the Danish realm, adding complexity to the issue.
Kalniņa and Kalniņš emphasized that their intention was not to interfere with the sporting event but to let Greenlanders know they are supported by fellow Europeans, regardless of whether the island remains part of Denmark or eventually chooses full independence.
“It’s not OK that Trump and America are this aggressive and try to incorporate the island into their country,” Kalniņš said, expressing concern about what he described as increasingly assertive U.S. rhetoric.
On the ice, however, Danish players insisted that politics played no role in their approach to the game. Denmark’s captain, Jesper Jensen Aabo, said the team remained focused solely on the competition, despite the broader political conversation surrounding Greenland.
“We didn’t even mention it within the team,” Jensen Aabo said. “We just wanted to win a hockey game against a world-class team. We didn’t need extra fire to fire us up. We were ready for the game even though there’s stuff going around in the real world, so that’s nothing that affected us at all.”
He added that he had not personally noticed the Greenland flag in the stands but appreciated the thought behind it. “I didn’t see it, but that was nice,” he said. “So hopefully they supported us.”
Among spectators from both countries, many expressed the view that international sporting events should rise above political disputes. Danish fan Dennis Petersen, his face painted red and white in the colors of Denmark’s flag, said that athletes should not be burdened with geopolitical tensions.
“It doesn’t matter whatever sport it is — it could be tennis, it could be bobsledding, it can be ice hockey, it could be football — it has nothing to do with politics,” Petersen said before the puck dropped. “They are athletes, not politicians.”
American fan Rem de Rohan, dressed in a jacket patterned with stars and stripes, echoed that sentiment. He said sporting competitions offer an opportunity for friendly rivalry and mutual respect rather than political confrontation.
“I think this is the time for people to kind of put that down and compete country versus country and enjoy,” he said. “We love rooting on every country that’s been here.”
While the final score favored the United States, the presence — and brief removal — of the Greenland flag highlighted how global political debates can sometimes surface even in arenas dedicated to sport. For the Latvian couple who carried it, the moment was less about the outcome on the scoreboard and more about signaling unity and support in a time of diplomatic strain.
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